For Want of a Paladin
by Azecreth
Summary: A FFIV AU. Kain is stuck with Rydia after the destruction of Mist. Thrown into the journey that was supposed to be undertaken by a Dark Knight, how will the Dragoon fare? What will Cecil do, brought back to the Empire he had decided to abandon? And for the world, how will the whims of fate shape the future?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well, this is an idea I've wanted to do for some time now, and NaNoWriMo has finally given me some incentive to actually do it. The title comes from the poem 'For want of a Nail', it's pretty short so you should check it out. The idea for this story came from a FFIV fanfic called 'Duty' on this site, look it up if you want, and all props to The Hog of Hedges who wrote it. The thought was brought up but not really explored, so I'm doing it here. **

**Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square Enix and not me. Comments and criticism are appreciate, please leave me a review and tell me what you think of this story. It won't stop me writing it, but I'd like to know if it's appreciated and if anyone's taking the time out to read it. **

**Anyway, onto the story.**

* * *

The cave was dark, tendrils of white slipping past the two travelers as they made their way along the tunnels. They held their weapons with wary preparation, ready for any variety of monsters to attack, in which they were not disappointed, assaulted by bats and goblins, dark blade and spear soon slick with black ichor as they dispatched one foe after another. Each fight taxed them a bit more, ramping up their nerves as they headed further into the cave, bracing themselves for the encounter with the Mist Dragon they knew guarded their destination. It was responsible for the poor vision inside the cave, the white that sought to blind and confuse them outside of the reach of their torches. But still they pressed on, doing their duty for their king, and for their country.

Cecil Harvey led the way, dark blade in hand as he strode confidently forward, wrapped in the black steel of a Dark Knight. It was a position he had chosen at the behest of the King, who was his adoptive father. Since then, he had served faithfully and well, rising through the ranks to become Captain of the Red Wings, the primary military force of Baron since it's transition to Empire. But recently, as Baron had shifted it's policy to a more militaristic stance, he had begun to have doubts. When he had returned from Mysidia, those had been acutely visible to any saw him. His confidence was diminished, he seemed absentminded, and even the King had seen enough to call his loyalty into question.

Kain Highwind followed behind, lance at his side, wearing the blue armor of the Royal Dragoons. Though they had fallen in favor with the rise of the Red Wings, and the increasingly feral nature of dragons which made it impossible for them to be tamed, they were still highly respected amongst the citizens of Baron,. Kain had followed in the footsteps of his father, and was a close friend of Cecil and Rosa. And that was why he was here, because he had dared to step up and defend his friend in front of the King, who stripped him of his title and may have even had him banished. They should count themselves lucky that he had been willing to let them redeem themselves with this mission.

Kain glanced to the large Ring that the King had given Cecil, currently looped by a strap to the satchel on his back. Something was off about it, the deep red coloration and twisted appearance imprinting itself on his mind, and he found himself wondering what they were supposed to do with it when they reached Mist. He could only assume that another representative of the Empire would meet them there, and that he (or she) would take the Ring for whatever reason it was needed, presumably as a gift to some local dignitary or something like that. But surely that was a mission that could be handled by the Red Wings. There was no need to send two of the strongest fighters in the kingdom on an exhausting trek through the mountains to bring it there. And even though he could understand the reasoning why, since it was a way for them to prove themselves, he found himself disturbed by what the motivation might be. And he could tell Cecil was just as disturbed.

…_.Turn back... _The words sounded like a whisper, twisting around the Dragoon and Dark Knight, as elusive as the mist that surrounded them, yet still able to be understood. The grips tightened on their weapons as they both looked around, keen eyes seeking to pierce the veil that had been laid over their surroundings.

"What? Who's there," Cecil yelled in response, his tone more curious than defiant or bold. He wanted to know who was here, not to issue a challenge and invite combat. But his question went with nary an answer, and the two warriors exchanged frowns before continuing onwards, weapons still at the ready.

A little while later, having handily taken down a group of goblins which had attacked them, and having progressed further towards the exit, the voice spoke again. It was as before, twisting and turning, not coming from one particular direction and still ethereal, though it seemed more solid now that they were closer to Mist. But it was also more insistent, more forceful, like a pressure pushing on their minds, a presence that said that they should go away, should turn and head back to Baron now, before it was too late. _Leave at once,_ it urged, causing Cecil and Kain to prepare for a fight yet again.

"Is that the Guardian of Mist," Kain wondered out loud, though that seemed the case since he didn't know what else it might be. But neither would be dissuaded from their mission, and they pressed onwards.

At last, they had finally reached the entrance, and were considering the notion that they had escaped the wrath of the Guardian, or that it was busy elsewhere, when mist starting to gather, obscuring the exit they knew where nearby as it became thicker than it had ever been in the cave. The hair on the back of Kain's neck stood up, and he knew now, if there had been any doubt, that this mist was not natural in the least.

The voice spoke out again, more solid now, and definitely coming from the largest concentration of mist. _Knights of Baron, I see. _The voice was more contemplative, but still as firm in it's resolve that they should not risk whatever fate may come upon them soon.

"Who are you," Kain called, lance at the ready

The voice ignored his question, louder and more authoritative as it reiterated it's demands. _Leave now, or suffer the consequences. _

"Show yourself," Kain demanded, not about to turn back now, and tired of answering to the Mist. If someone was going to force him to do something, he wanted to see them.

_You choose to ignore my warnings,_ the voice asked, as if sad about what it would have to do if they refused to take heed of it and leave.

Cecil stepped forward to confront the Guardian, his dark blade thrumming with energy as he did so. "We have to get to Mist! We're not turning back," he replied defiantly, if lacking a bit of the fire he had had before.

Kain could swear he almost heard a sigh rush around them as the mist began to change shape, gaining visible outlines as it blocked the cave exit. "So be it," it growled with a sad resolve. The two both took a step back as the mist resolved into that of a white dragon, wispy wings and gleaming cerulean blue eyes looking at them, fading away into a misty lower half. The two warriors fell into ready stances as it came at them. Seemed it was time for a fight.

They nodded to each other before springing into action, like a well rehearsed dance routine that both had become familiar with through years of combat together. Kain went high; Cecil went low. The Dark Knight lashed out with purple steel dark energy flowing through it as it struck the dragon's misty form. There was no way to know if it was actually doing any damage to the creature, so they would just have to hope, or else this would be a short fight.

Kain maneuvered swiftly through the air, landing slash after slash with his lance, to rapidly jump off again while dodging solid tendrils of mist. He had to be careful with the cave ceiling and falling rocks from impacts, but it was nothing he hadn't been trained for. But maybe that made him overly cocky, as a tendril wrapped around his leg and arrested his flight and slamming him into the ground with the crunch of shattering rock. That attracted Cecil's attention, as he saw his friend getting pummeled into the ground by the Mist Dragon.

"Kain," Cecil called as he rushed to his defense, silently taking the exertion as a black wave thrummed from his sword to slice through the misty tentacles, leaving them to dissipate into the background mist of the cave. Enemies gone from the immediate area, Cecil reached down to help a battered Kain to his feet, but was waved off by the Dragoon, who took to a knee before rising back up with a crack of his neck and an in place jog to loosen him up before they went back into the fight.

But by then the situation had changed, to their mutual confusion. The dragon was gone, having dissipated back into mist. But now the mist that surrounded them was seemingly more solid, more resistant, as if it was actually slowing their movements. And considering that the dragon they had been fighting was made of mist, it didn't take the two soldiers long to realize that the dragon was actually around them in mist form. That thought chilling them, and no apparent way to hurt the dragon, the two resumed their slow walk, pushing against the resistance of the mist as they moved towards the exit. This had the intended affect, as the mist vanished and the dragon reformed to stop them.

And so the deadly dance began again, Kain and Cecil working in tandem to strike at the dragon while dodging it's attacks, though they couldn't dodge everything. But it began to be evident that they were wearing it down, shrinking as Mist dissipated to retain it's form from blade strikes. Waves of energy rolled from Cecil's sword as Kain leapt and dove at the dragon, the fight going on.

With an unearthly wail that sounded like the cry of a dragon, but with some more potent, emotional, human element to it, the dragon collapsed from the multitude of hits it had taken, form slowly vanishing with the mist and leaving Cecil and Kain alone in the now clear cave. They looked from where the dragon had been to each other, letting all that tension go as they took comfort in their continued survival. From the exit to the cave they could see the town of mist in the distance, and they didn't waste any time in setting off for there, to complete their task.

As they entered the town limits, something began to change. Cecil had removed the ring from where he had stored it in preparation for the anticipated hand off, and thus he was the first one to notice what was happening.

"That's odd, the Ring a glowing," he said with a puzzled expression, a sense of dread growing inside of him as it brightened from a dull glow to a bright red. A hissing sound began to emanate from it as it brightened, the carvings in it twisting and morphing. "Ah," he gasped, dropping the ring and shaking his armoured hand. "It burned me."

Kain wasn't paying attention though, eyes fixed on the ring as it's transformation continued. It was growing now, expanding and becoming larger as it began to float in the air. The hissing sound increased, and both watched as cracks began to appear in the ring, iron and enchanted steel falling away to reveal, to their horror, a swarm of Bombs. They readied their weapons, but it seemed that whatever magic had put them in the ring also identified the two as friends. For instead of attacking the Dark Knight and Dragoon, they flew off into the town, cackling and spewing flames.

"What..." Kain was speechless as the town descended into chaotic anarchy, houses going up in flames while cackling Bombs chased down defenseless citizens. It was wanton destruction as the town burned down in front of them.

"This is it? This is why he sent us here?" Kain shuddered to hear Cecil, the Dark Knight's voice cold as the mountains, a far more deadly version of hot rage. He knew that this wouldn't end well. But still, he couldn't argue with the shock of it.

"We've destroyed the entire village," Kain replied as he continued to watch the tragedy unfold.

Cecil didn't look back as he strode into the village, smiting down Bombs left and right with his sword, trying to save who he could. But it was a losing battle, the Bombs just too numerous, though the fact that they paid him no mind worked to his advantage. Kain followed as well, spurred to action by the example of his friend, though he had no idea how many the few who were saved by their actions were, and who had been killed by monsters or perished in the fire. As they walked, Kain thought he overheard Cecil muttering to himself, but it was unintelligible over the screech of bombs and the crackling of flames.

The streets were deserted now, everyone have either fled, been killed, or was trapped. It was for that third group that Kain and Cecil were looking for, cooperating to move debris out from entrance ways and check for survivors. It was, for the most part, a fruitless task.

It was as Cecil moved through yet another house, having slammed the door aside with a plated shoulder, that he found her. A little girl, who couldn't have been more than ten years old, with bright green hair, was crouched beside a bed in the back room, rocking back and forth while letting out sniffling whimpers. Her clothes were covered in ash, dust and dirt, though the suspenders helped with that, the blue contrasting with a yellow t shirt. Somehow the house hadn't been touched by the fire or the Bombs for the most part. But as Kain came over, both of their gazes were drawn to something a bit more heart wrenching. Lying on the bed, arms folded, eyes closed, was an older woman. She laid on top of the sheets, with relatively little dust or ash on her, and their trained eyes immediately came up with an answer. She was dead.

Cecil stepped forward to place his hand on the girl's shoulder. But she leapt up and back, back to the bed as she stared in fear at the two men, who shared nervous glances. "You have to get out of here," Cecil urged. "It's not safe."

"No, I'm not leaving mommy," she replied. "Somebody killed my mommies dragon. And mommy went with it to the happy place in the sky." Her blue, watery eyes widened as something occurred to her, looking at the armoured figures standing before her, both of whom had had the concurrent thought about the connection between the woman and the dragon they had fought in the cave.

"I've heard of people with the power to summon monsters," Kain said, doing his best to hide his shock. "Summoners, to be precise."

Cecil bowed his head. "Then we are the ones responsible for killing her mother by killing the dragon."

Kain nodded in return, but was interrupted by a strangled gasp before he could respond. The girl had taken shaky steps back, away from the men who had appeared in front of her, her lip quivering as what she had suspected but hadn't wanted to be true was confirmed. "You killed mommy's dragon," she asked, a lot more accusation in that than actual question.

"I'm sorry. We..we didn't know that that would happen," Cecil replied, stepping up to the bed to look upon the woman, so serene in death.

Meanwhile, Kain came to a realization as well. "So that was the Kings wish. For us to get rid of every summoner in the village."

Cecil stepped back, confusion exuding from behind his face mask. "That can't be."

Kain nodded sadly as he stepped forward, readying his lance. "I'm afraid it's true. And if it is, then that means we have to get rid of the girl as well." Upon hearing that, the girl further tried to hide in the corner in fear. Cecil on the other hand, could barely believe that he had heard his friend speak so callously of killing a small child, who had done nothing wrong besides living in the wrong place. She wasn't an enemy that needed to be killed for the protection of the realm. She was a little girl who had just lost her mother and seen her home town destroyed by the very people standing in front of her. And as he beheld Kain ready to strike down the girl, something snapped into place.

"What," he asked incredulously, a dangerous undertone present that hadn't been there before.

"Wee have to obey the King's orders"

"But she's just a child," Cecil objected.

Kain took a step back as Cecil shifted to stand between him and the girl, blade drawn and ready to back up his words with steel. "So, you intend to defy the king," asked Kain.

"I refuse to continue any more slaughter in the King's name. No more. Never again," Cecil replied, taking a matching step forward.

Kain contemplated that for a moment before smirking, lowering his lance. "I knew you'd say that. But don't worry, I'm on your side."

"You are," Cecil asked, taken aback since kain had been proposing that they kill her merely a few moments ago, and he wanted to know what had prompted this change.

Kain nodded. "I owe the King much, but I can't disgrace the Dragoons. Not by doing something like this."

Beneath the dark armor, Cecil broke into a tiny smile. "So, you'll join me then?"

"Yes. But you know, we're going to need allies if we plan on opposing the mightiest kingdom in the land. And we need some way to get Rosa out of Baron as well, for her sake."

Cecil lowered his sword. "Thank you Kain."

Kain shook his head with a slight smirk. "Save it. This isn't for your sake." Cecil fell silent at the thought that Kain might hold the honor of the dragoons above even their own friendship, but his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a Bomb exploding nearby.

Kain glanced out the window towards where the blast had come from. "This place is gone, there's no point in sticking around any more. We'd better get going." He looked towards the green haired girl, who was crouched near the bed, as if protecting her mother from the two of them. "What are we going to do about her?"

Cecil turned his gaze to her as well. "We can't leave her here, with the place burning to the ground and Bombs still around. We'll have to take her with us."

Cecil turned and approached her, walking slowly as she shied away, before dropping to a knee. "Hey, it's alright,' he said, as comfortingly as he could. "We won't hurt you. You're going to have to come with us, okay?"

"No," she said, shrinking back even more, if that were possible.

There was another explosion, and at that Kain started to get nervous, advancing to stand beside the bed. "Come on, we have to go now," he urged, reaching for the girl with the intent of just grabbing her and carrying her away, kicking and screaming if he had to.

"No! Go away," she shrieked, pushing him back and trying to get around them to escape.

"Wait," Cecil said, blocking her escape as he moved in front of the door.

"No! I hate you! You killed my mommy," the girl yelled as she stopped trying to run.

Something began to change, a mysterious thrumming in the atmosphere where they were. It made both of them nervous, and Cecil felt that it was familiar, a sensation he knew he has felt before. Suddenly, it hit him, his face paling as he recalled having felt this during the assault on Mysidia, though there were significant differences. This felt wilder, more powerful, and untamed. Whatever was about to happen ,it wasn't good for them. "Brace yourself," he said to Kain as he took his own advice.

"Go away," she screamed, as a rumbling shook the house, growing in intensity and strength all around them. Kain and Cecil shared panicked looks.

"Get out," they both said at the same time, running out of the house to see a wave of destruction headed towards them, the earth buckling and shaking, adding to the chaos and destruction as the town was ripped apart. Bricks, stone, earth, went flying through the air as the ground buckled, rising and failing, jagged chasms ripping open and closing, houses shaking themselves apart and flames everywhere. It was like the largest battle they had been in, and it was all brought on by that little girl.

Kain and Cecil found they couldn't stay together, debris flying towards them as buildings crumbled. Kain leapt into the air to escape the motion of the ground as Cecil made for the edge of town. Explosions rippled through the shattered town as Bombs were caught up in the conflagration and detonated, making the ground even more treacherous.

He wasn't sure when, but Kain had lost Cecil amidst the chaos, the dark knight's armor unable to be picked out from the air as rocks, dirt, and pieces of house were tossed through the air. He couldn't dwell on that though, as he was having his own problems, cinders and ash filling the air and getting in his eyes, making timing jumps difficult.

Kain's eyes widened as the ground rose towards him, coming much faster than he expected. "Come on," he growled as he shifted in midair, to try and spring off at the last second, but he knew it was no use. It was coming to fast, and the tangle of rubble made it too unstable to launch from. He could only brace for the inevitable as stone came down around him.

Impact. Blackness.

* * *

"Ugh," Kain groaned as he woke up. He could feel a pounding headache to complement the pressure on his back from rubble. But on the positive side, he wasn't dead, which was something to be glad for. Slowly, he moved, shifting and pushing, testing the amount of weight on top of him and starting to move it without crushing himself. Fortunately, it seemed to be a small layer, and he was soon able to climb out, blue armor covered in dust and practically brown at this point, with dents and scratches that had not been there before.

He stood up to get a bearing of his surroundings. And as he did, he beheld what was left of Mist, the ground twisted and cracked, fires burning slowly as ash hung in the sky. Any recognizable landmarks had been obliterated, and any signs of human habitation now laid in waste.

The thought that anyone could have survived here was a powerful one for Kain, but he refused to despair. After all, he had survived. Picking up his lance from where it had fallen,. He glanced about and leapt to the highest point he could see, landing a bit harshly on a crumbled rooftop, sharp eyes scanning the land nearby for signs of movement.

"Cecil, are you there? Cecil, answer me! Cecil," he yelled, at the top of his lungs, hoping the call would spur some movement, a reply, anything that would help him locate his friend. But there was nothing, only the clatter of shifting rubble.

But his eyes did pick out something, a bright green, hidden by dust, covered in rock and stone, but there nonetheless. He jumped down and carefully made his way over to where he had seen that flash of color, and that was where he found her. She was half buried beneath a collapsed wall, but he knew it was her. And she was still alive at that, weakly breathing in a manner that was more like a wheeze than anything, but she was alive.

He frowned, standing above her with his lance in his hand. She was defenseless. He could kill her now, and nobody could stop him, no one would know, and if anyone actually cared, they would assume it was the Bombs. All it would take would be a sharp jab, and his trouble would be over. He could go back to Baron and the good graces of the King. No one would ever have to know. If Cecil was still alive somewhere out here, they could triumphantly return to their positions of authority. And if he wasn't, well then, Kain would be there to comfort Rosa.

He hefted the spear for the killing blow. Base of the neck ,severing the spinal cord, she wouldn't feel a thing. It'd be over quick and easy. And Kain could do it. He'd killed hundreds of people who the Kingdom of Baron considered enemies. He'd put down dogs and rabid animals. How would this be any different? One quick strike, and he could return to the right hand of the King, where he belonged.

But still something stayed his hand. This wasn't right, this wasn't just. He'd said that he wouldn't sully the honor of the Dragoons by this senseless killing, and what he said, he meant. She had been condemned to die, simply because of her birthright, not because of what she had done. They had come in, killed her mother, destroyed her town, her home, and now here he was, standing above her battered form with a spear, ready to end her life because she was a summoner. And just before, Cecil had been ready to throw his life away in defiance of Baron for this girl. Should he do this? Could he do this?

With a sigh, he planted his lance on the ground. No, he couldn't. If this was just or right, he wouldn't have a part of it. She could count herself lucky when she woke up. He got to work, shifting cracked fragments of stone and working up a sweat as he removed piece after piece of building that was pinning her to the ground. And as he went, the sun rose into the sky until he was sure enough was clear so that he was able to carefully remove her from where she laid.

He carried her delicate form over to a relatively flat section of ground, gently placing her back down before he began looking her over for wounds. Of the gashes and nicks he found, he cleaned them before bandaging them up with his travel supplies, as well as the medical supplies he had been able to scavenge from nearby. But he knew that for her to escape any serious injury inside a building, that would be miraculous. But there was no real way he could tell if she wasn't awake, since most of his training only precluded battlefield first aid, not the kind of things a trained doctor or white mage knew. If only Rosa were here...

Keeping her where she was in her apparent catatonic state, Kain looked around and picked up some decently undamaged supplies for travel, before returning to where his stuff was gathered. Now to decide where to go and what to do. Keeping the girl alive, as well as how the mountain had collapsed, made going back to Baron a difficult and futile proposition, though the kernel of an idea had formed in his mind and had promptly been dismissed. And that only left one option. He would have to go across the desert to Damcyan. Maybe there he could find some help.

His mind resolved, he slung his pack over his shoulder, picked up the girl to carry her limp form across his other shoulder while his lance was clutched in his opposite hand, and he began the long trek down the mountain, and across the desert to Damcyan, to whatever fate would await.

* * *

The whirring of propeller blades filled the air, shadows falling across the ground as mighty airships plowed through the sky, a squadron of them making their way over the mountain to land beyond the destroyed village. As the boarding ramps went down, groups of soldiers tramped out and began heading towards the town, alert and ready as they began to clear away debris and look for survivors under stern direction.

It was the man in dark armor who attracted the most attention as he descended from the ship, walking with an imperious manner as he took heavy strides down the ramp, cape billowing behind him. His visage was hidden by the helmet he wore, the armor making his figure even more imposing as he radiated authority and utter contempt for those around him.

As he reached the bottom of the ramp, he looked around at the activity as someone else descended the ramp behind him. She was extremely out of place here, but had come regardless, even in defiance of the wishes of the dark man, the new commander of the Red Wings, Golbez. She had come out of concern for the one she loved, the one she cared for, and Rosa wouldn't leave until he was found.

"You may stay on the ship Mage," Golbez rumbled without looking at her, his gaze on the destroyed town. "If Cecil is found alive, you will be the first to know."

"After you, you mean," Rosa replied tartly, not liking how firm Golbez had been on her not coming along. "When they find him, I want to be there. Besides, what about the other survivors. What about Kain? If they're in serious condition then we can't waste a second in helping them. Better for me to be there than to need to have someone run back to the ship to get me." She folded his arms and shot him a look that said that she wasn't going anywhere she didn't want to.

"You are stubborn, aren't you," he replied after a short silence. "I don't know what he sees in you." He stepped away before she could have a chance to respond, leaving Rosa to head into Mist and comb the wreckage for Cecil, Kain, and any other survivors.

Time passed, the sun crested and headed towards the horizon. But as a figure in blue trudged towards the desert, a cry came up from a nearby. "Hey, we found a live one here!" It was a cry that brought Rosa running, uncaring of any damaged clothing as she made her way over. She found the team of soldiers carefully shifting sections of collapsed wall, revealing Cecil, battered, bruised, trapped, but alive.

"Move," she said, and the soldiers backed up as she crouched by Cecil, hands flaring white light as she ran them over his unconscious form, occasionally frowning at what she was seeing. "What did you do," she asked rhetorically before returning her outstretched hands to his head, chanting as the white light flared, wounds engulfed in a bright glow as they vanished.

Rosa let out a sigh as the light faded entirely, and she stood back up to let the soldiers finish unburying her beloved. At that point, Golbez had arrived, and the imposing commander stood back watching the work as it happened. Looking over at him, Rosa wondered what thoughts were running inside those black pits that served as eyes.

She stepped over to regard him curiously. "So, have they found Kain yet?"

"No," was the simple response, not a nod, gesture, or acknowledgment of her presence besides that answer.

"Any other survivors?"

"No." Golbez had been quite clear to his men when Rosa was gone that there were to be no survivors. The legacy of Mist would be destroyed, completely and utterly, and their powers removed from this world.

"Oh," Rosa was subdued at the news. The thought that only Cecil had survived, that Kain, the brave Dragoon who touched the sky and had been as near a constant presence as Cecil had when they were younger, was hard to believe. She supposed the full impact hadn't hit her yet, and she wasn't about to break down in front of Golbez. "Do you know what could have caused such devastation? Surely it couldn't have been Cecil and Kain. They may be skilled warriors but even they couldn't have cracked the earth like this."

"I do not know. And at the moment, that is none of mine, or your, concern." That wasn't to say that Golbez couldn't hazard a guess. It looked like a summoner or two had survived the Scouring of the Bombs, and had engaged the two Baronian men, with devastating results. Not much of a loss, but their survival did offer him an opportunity. And he was fairly certain that if Cecil had survived, the gnat of a Dragoon had as well. But where was he?

Rosa huffed, going off to Cecil as they finally removed him from the rubble and began carrying him back to the airship, Rosa following after. She paused on the way though, looking over the destroyed city as she whispered "Kain, where are you?" But Cecil needed her, and she turned to return to the ship.

Golbez glanced over at one of his subordinates. "Organize a squad and send them to Kaipo. If anyone survived they would most likely have made their way across the desert, or we would have seen them. Make sure the survivors are unable to tell anyone what happened. Oh, and make sure the White Mage doesn't know. We wouldn't want to upset her delicate sensibilities."

"Yes sir,' the man replied with a salute before going off to gather the team. Golbez smirked beneath his helmet as he turned from the ruin of Mist, not sparing it a backwards glance, heading back to the airship. Master Zemus would be interested to head about Cecil's survival.

_One born of a dragon_  
_Bearing darkness and light,_  
_Shall rise to the heavens_  
_Over the still land._  
_The moon's light eternal_  
_Brings a promise to Earth_  
_With bounty and grace._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well, here's another chapter for you all, thanks to everyone who left a review, it's good to know there are people actually reading this. I plan to go on for a while, intermitten as it may be while I figure out divergences and deal with real life, but I will finish this eventually**

**I own nothing besides this computer I'm writing on and creative license, FFIV and the characters therein belong to Square Enix**

* * *

The desert was hot, sand as far as the eye could see, blown about on the wind and infiltrating the joints of Kain's armor as he trudged across the wasteland. He panted with each step, the burden on his shoulder becoming almost unbearable as he roasted in his armor. It was like a sauna, sweat covering his body as the sun beat down overhead. Grit rasped across his tongue as he tried to wet his cracked lips. Each step was a struggle against the shifting sand and his own weariness, the scavenged supplies nowhere near adequate for this trek.

As bad as he was though, he couldn't tell how it was for the girl he carried, forced to lay across his metal shoulder, in the direct sunlight and wearing only the tattered clothes that he had found her in. And his armor meant that he couldn't check to see how she was faring, unwilling to stop for fear of not making it to the next town.

Even then, walking across a desert while hoping to stumble across an oasis would have been so much easier if it weren't for the endless monster attacks, desert creatures assaulting him at every turn, forcing him to carefully place the girl out of danger before moving to fight, the sand making his footing treacherous and combat even more difficult as he fought off the various monsters with his lance, every battle draining off more of his stamina, and more of his energy. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up.

Walking, Kain had to keep his mind occupied, focusing on a singular cactus, or a dune, anything to measure his progress by in this desert as he made his way towards Kaipo, a destination he had to reach if they had any chance of crossing this desert. If they didn't, they would run out of water and then they would have no chance.

Cresting another dune, his eyes widened as he saw it, his destination. The city of Kaipo, looking all the more beautiful and fulfilling in person than the description. He could see the water from the oasis running in a canal to collect in an open pool, the water crystal clear. He could see the blurred forms of people moving about, Kain assuming that it was his blurred vision and the distance that kept him from making out anyone clearly. But he knew he was close now, and broke into a loping sprint, sliding down the dune and foot kicking up clouds of sand as he ran, throat on fire as he carried his burden to their salvation.

He ran, and he ran, muscles aching as he shifted through the sand. But for every step, he was no closer, the city seeming to recede in the distance, actively moving away from him all the while as he ran towards it. Finally, something snapped inside of him as he collapsed to his knees, chest heaving as he fell. His lance fell with a puff of sand, and Rydia was dropped as well, unconscious face looking up into the bright blue, cloudless sky. Kain watched the city dematerialize into sand, sand, and more sand,. That revelation, that he had been chasing a mirage, that he had just wasted that exertion and energy for nothing, brought him to tears, if it wasn't so hot that no tears would come. Why the hell was he here? If he'd stayed in Mist, he could be on an airship back to Baron now, not stumbling across a desert in the end of nowhere carrying an unconscious girl whose name he didn't even know and who had tried to kill him earlier. He was a Royal Dragoon! He deserved better than this.

The one consolation he had was that eventually karma would get back to him, but even that seemed unlikely since he was going to die of heat stroke in the desert here. He wondered if Cecil would be waiting for him beyond that final horizon, ready to spend eternity with him, and their grievances settled. It was a nice thought, but Kain knew it was a pipe dream in the end. Mostly because it was highly unlikely they would end up together in the afterlife. He was sure there was some just fate waiting for him.

With a groan, he rose back to his feet, picking up the girl and his lance as he stumbled further on, spurred on by the notion that he had come this far, and what would Cecil, or his father think if he gave up now. A dragoon strove to the end to accomplish his mission, and he had given himself a mission, a goal, and he would achieve it. So onward he went, battling the sun, his exhaustion and physical pain. He may fail, but he'd make his father proud

On and on, as the sun beginning to sink in the sky, casting shadows across the land and bringing merciful relief, though it soon gave way to a chilling cold, the armour providing some relief against that despite his aches and pains. The monsters seemed to dwindle away with the coming night, and the moons rose in the sky.

It was in the dark of night that he finally arrived at Kaipo, stumbling into town and nearly collapsing as he made his way to the inn. He fell more than walked through the door, drawing the attention of the innkeeper, who hurried over to take some of Kain's burden from him.

"Oh dear. Please, take a room for the night, no charge. You look like you've had a difficult journey," the innkeeper said as he handed Kain a room key.

"You have no idea," Kain rasped through dry lips, heaving himself, the girl, and his supplies up the stairs, hands shaking as he worked the key in the lock, finally opening the door and haltingly stepping inside. He dropped his supplies like rocks before laying the girl on the bed and removing his helmet, sucking in air as all the trapped heat was released.

Lance left to lean against the wall, tip digging into the wood, as Kain looked over the girl. He winced in pain at what he saw, and walking over to get some potion's from his bag, leg muscles creaking from how tired he was. Items in hand, he returned to her side, eyes looking over her battered form. The bruises had flared into blackish splotches on her skin, the rest of her exposed skin touched by a fierce red sunburn. There was a nasty welt on her forehead, her skin had flakes of white which appeared to be dried sweat, and he could make out the sound of pained moans. Either she was aware of her state while unconscious, or she was having bad dreams. Of course, he wouldn't know until she woke up.

Dropping to a knee beside her, he carefully titled her head and began to feed her the potion a little bit at a time. As it took effect, he could see the visible colors begin to diminish, and the swelling start to go down. Seeing that she was getting better, Kain left her as he removed one piece of armor at a time, sighing at the liberation he felt. Finally, it was all gone, and he wore a simple tunic and shorts underneath, clothes wet with accumulated sweat and giving any who might have been looking a good shot of his toned chest, arm, and leg muscles. He knew he had the body of a warrior, with all the scars that that meant, such as the broken rib he had gotten during training, when he had messed up a jump and had come crashing down instead of gracefully landing. He could have had any woman in Baron if he wanted, dozens at his whim, and they would be happy to do whatever he wanted. But there was only one who had his heart in a noose, and she saw him as nothing more than a friend. Perhaps once, but that time had long since passed.

Freed from his confinement, Kain did some stretches, working his tired muscles and massaging his feet, working out the tension that had built up form all the fighting and walking. Arms were worked, as well as his shoulder blades. When he was finished, he moved over to the desk and poured himself a glass of water, then sat down to slowly sip form it while watching the sleeping girl, the cool liquid freezing a path down his throat, every little bit like a drop in a burning home. It didn't quench his thirst, but he knew that gulping it down would just result in him throwing up. He did use a potion on himself as well, to heal his battle wounds.

He was pulled out of his reverie as the girl sat up with a strangled gasp, eyes showing pure panic as she looked about, trying to figure out where she was. Kain rose from his seat, stepping over to the bed and laying a hand on her shoulder as she shied away from him.

"Shhhh, it's okay. You're safe here," he said, mustering all the people skills he had to comfort her. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The girl seemed to calm a little, but it was apparent she was still scared, as she curled up, pulling her legs against her chest as she stared at him with wide eyes. "Who are you? Where are we? Why does my head hurt,' she asked, reaching to touch the welt on her forehead and flinching away at the slight poke.

Kain frowned at the sequence of questions. Apparently whatever had made that injury had done more than just hurt her. It seemed to have given her some kind of amnesia, which was good for his immediate survival, but it would be bad if he lied to her and then she found out later he was lying.

"My name is Kain Highwind. I'm a member of the Royal Dragoons, from the Kingdom of Baron. We're in the town of Kaipo. Your head hurts because a wall fell on it when you brought down a mountain on me and my friend Cecil," he replied, deliberately trying to give specifics so as to jog her memory. But that seemed to not do anything.

"Why would I bring a mountain down on anyone? And how" she asked again, little beads of water gathering n the corners of her eyes, the girl disturbed by the thought that she would, or could, do that to someone.

"It's because you're a person known as a summoner. You have abilities that no one else has. As for why...That's a long story," he replied, looking over her scrunched up form as he sat down next to her on the bed. "So, what do you remember? Do you remember your name?"

He sat there, watching as she scrunched her face up, obviously pained as she tried to remember. Her eyes sprang open with a gasp as she settled down into a frown, threatening to break into tears. "I'm sorry, it just hurts so much." She paused before asking, still curled up, "Can I have some water please?"

Kain reached to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder, then refrained, casting some confusion to the girl's gaze as he remembered the sunburn that wasn't fully cured, and wouldn't exactly be pleasant of he touched it. She winced as she did what he had worried about doing. "It's alright," he said as he rose. "Just try and remember your name for me, alright?"

She nodded as Kain moved over to the desk to pour another glass of water before returning. He held it out as calmly as he could. "Do you need some help with this?" she shook her head as he handed the glass over. But it quickly became apparent that that was not the case, her immediately spilling some water onto her lap. She fumbled with the glass some more, never really getting any to her lips before she conceded defeat, letting Kain take the glass and carefully help her drink from it, as he had done with the potion earlier.

When the glass was empty, he placed it on the desk with the other one, the girl licking her lips to keep the recently regained moisture there. She gave him a grateful gaze before speaking. "I still can't remember anything...but I think my name is Rydia."

Kain smiled warmly, still sitting beside her. "Rydia. That's a nice name."

Rydia looked down at the blankets, a bit embarrassed by the attention of the strange Dragoon. "So, what are we going to do next? Are you going to take me home?"

Kain held that smile on his face as his mind raced. How was he going to explain this one? Saying that they were going on the run and were preparing to fight the strongest empire on the planet because of her was quite a lot to drop on someone, not to mention it might jog her memory, and then he'd be in trouble. He'd prefer to build up some good will before he brought her back.

"Well, next we're going to go to the Kingdom of Damcyan, to meet with the King there. Then we'll..." He fell silent as a realization hit him, that the downstairs which had at least a modicum of emanating from it had fallen silent, and that the hair on the back of his neck was prickling. Something was off, and he'd learned to trust his instincts a while ago.

Leaning over, he placed a hand over her mouth while lifting a finger in a shush sign. He whispered to her as her eyes began to quake from confused fear. "Okay Rydia, I need you to be quite. Whatever happens, I need you to be brave and stay quiet until I tell you. Alright?"

She nodded, and he removed his hand from covering her mouth. "Now Rydia, I will be right back. I promise on my honor as a Dragoon, I will be back for you." He rose as silently as he could from the bed, slipping his boots back on and picking up his lance. He didn't have time for the rest of his armor, so if this came to a fight it would be a bit trickier, but he had fought like this in basic training before, so it wouldn't be too difficult. And it might turn out to be nothing, which would be all the better. Slowly, he opened the door and stepped outside, closing it behind him.

His senses had leapt into hyperawareness, the flow of adrenaline overpowering the exhaustion he felt from his trek through the desert. Something was off, and he knew it. He just didn't know what it was. But he didn't have long to wait to find out as he rounded the corner to see a squad of Baronian Knights at the top landing of the stairs, swords drawn. They leveled their blades at Kain as he shifted his stance to prepare for a fight.

The leader, dressed in the garb of a Captain, shut down his look of surprise as he beheld the dragoon. "Sir Kain, finally, we've found you." He moved to walk pas the Dragoon, who stepped in his way with the succinct phrase. "Wait."

The Captain frowned. "I am here on the King's orders. All summoners from Mist are to be annihilated. We know you arrived with a girl, a survivor from the attack. Hand her over. Now"

"Never," Kain replied, readying his lance, cold steel in his voice. He'd made his choice. He would see it through.

Upon hearing that, the soldiers readied their blades as well. The Captain shook his head, as if sad about what he was going to do. "Then you shall die." The soldiers rushed at him and Kain was forced to think fast as the fight began. He knew he was at an immediate disadvantage, using a lance in indoor combat, not having armor, and outnumbered four to one. But he knew he was better trained, and he was motivated. That had to be worth something.

He moved quick, lashing out with his lance, dodging sword strikes to land a hit on one of the soldiers, sending them stumbling back to be caught by the Captain behind them. But he was pushed back by the blades which deflected his lance, forcing him to cede ground. Darting behind the corner he had so recently emerged from, he was waited as they rounded it as well, flinging a vase with the kind of precision it had taken years to achieve, the ceramic shattering as it impacted with a soldiers head, taking him down for the count.

That small victory only seemed to make the other soldiers angry, and they pushed back harder. Kain was fortunate for his agile footwork as he stayed one step ahead of them. But he was coming up on the room he knew Rydia was in, and he would have to make a stand soon, or else they'd reach her. And he wasn't getting a little girl in this fight, summoner or no.

A particularly sharp strike took down another soldier, a lance puncture through his gut proving a bit distracting from a combat standpoint. That left one more, and the Captain. It turned into a pseudo-martial arts match, Kain using his lance as an impromptu staff while the soldier tried to slice him open with his sword. He hissed from a cut across his forearm that left a track of red. But Kain kept going, gritting his teeth as blood dripped down his arm. He soon got his opening, spearing the last soldier in the side with a quick sweep. He pulled the lance out to let the man drop to the floor dead, as he faced down the Captain.

"You'll pay for this,' the Captain roared. "Baron will hunt you down like the dog you are. There will be no safe place for you or for the girl. You will regret the day you chose to betray Baron, you traitor."

Kain took the time to pick up a sword, now dual wielding as he faced the Captain. "They may. But you won't be around to see that day," he replied confidently, and their fight began. Metal clashed against metal, blades weaving a deadly dance, a pirouette of steel as they fought. But Kain prevailed yet again, the borrowed sword sinking into the Captain's chest. Kain removed the sword and tossed it to the side as the Captain collapsed, more than a bit distracted by his arm.

His own attention was drawn by a strangled gasp, turning around to see Rydia peeking out from behind the door to the room. Glancing in a nearby mirror, he realized how he must have looked to her, covered in blood, hair tousled, bodies on the floor before him with his lance sharing some blood.

He headed to a washroom, rubbing off blood with a rag and water, stinging from the contact with injured skin, but he put up with the pain. Returning to the room, he drank a potion as he found Rydia back in bed, apparently seeing him in a new way after that fight.

"You...you killed those men," she said, eyes still wide as saucers.

Kain nodded as he picked up his lance and began sharpening the small nicks out of the blade. When a weapon was your life, you kept it in perfect condition. "Yes," he replied remorselessly. "They were here to kill you, because you're a summoner. I stopped them. So now when those soldiers don't report back in, Baron will know I'm a traitor now too." It was strange saying it, as if telling it to someone else gave it a closure and finality that merely telling himself hadn't. And though her'd be ashamed to admit it, he wasn't as comfortable as he thought he'd be. You could hardly blame him, since treason wasn't something to be taken lightly, but by now he'd saved an enemy of the Crown, and fought the crown's soldiers. There was no going back. But knowing that fact hadn't made him determined, hadn't given him the moral resolve and confidence to carry out the fight to the end, whatever may come. Oh sure, it was easy to see what he was doing was right when he looked at Rydia, when he saw her haunted expression as she tried to remember what had happened to her, but this nagging part of his mind never went away.

The blade sharp now, he put it aside with a sigh, muscles aching once again. "Get some sleep," he said. "It's been a long day. Maybe you'll feel better in the morning. We'll get some supplies, then set on our way."

"Alright.' If there was one bright spot, it was that Rydia appeared to trust the dragoon more since she had seen him fighting to protect her. That had to be worth something. He watched as she sank into the bed's mattress, pulling the covers up over herself and falling asleep, as Kain sat in the chair, eventually falling into his silent dreams as the moons turned in the sky.

* * *

Cecil's mind floated to awareness upon a tide of warm words, eyes fluttering open with a groan as he beheld a face hovering above him, slowly resolving into the warm, smiling face of Rosa. He slowly grinned as well, attempting to sit up just to be pushed back down by the White Mage. "Take it easy Cecil. You were unconscious for a few days, and you've got a pretty nasty lump on your head," she explained.

Cecil looked around in confusion as his surroundings. "Where...Where am.."

"You're in your room. In Baron. They let me keep you here rather than the infirmary after we found you in the village of Mist." Rosa's face took on a worried expression. "Cecil, do you remember what happened? We found you buried underneath a house, and you were in a bad way. And we still haven't found Kain."

Cecil's brow furrowed in thought. "Mist..." His eyes widened. "I remember. We made it there after defeating the Dragon of Mist...but it all went wrong. The package was a ring made of Bombs. When we entered the town, it activated. It burned the whole place to the ground," he said mournfully. "There was a girl there, green hair. Me and Kain found her crying over her mother. The woman...she died when we killed the dragon. Then the girl brought the mountain down on us." He looked at Rosa sadly. "I think...I think the King sent us there to wipe out the summoners."

Rosa was taken aback, though she did wonder if Cecil was still ill and was speaking through a heat fever. It didn't seem like it though. "But why would the king do such a thing?"

Cecil levered himself up, hand rising to clutch his head as his elbow dug into the pillow beneath. "I don't know. Something strange has been going on with the King, but I don't know what it is.' His eyes widened as the other part of what she said registered. 'Wait, you haven't found Kain yet?"

The silence hung heavy as Rosa shook her head sadly, eyes dipping to look at the bed and avoiding his gaze. "They've been looking, but they haven't found him, or a body, yet. There's still a lot of debris to go through. There have been plenty of other bodies though."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll turn up eventually if he managed to survive." The two in the room turned their gaze to the door and the newcomer, beholding a blond haired, blue eyed man in the armor of the Royal Guard, leaning against the door frame with his helmet slung under his arm.

"Sir Baigan. Good to see you again," Cecil said from the bed as the Guard stepped fully into the room.

"You as well Sir Cecil. However, I must cut your rest short. The King wants to see you in the throne room as soon as you feel you are able to come."

Cecil nodded, attempting to rise again but Rosa holding him down in turn. "I don't care wha the King wants, you're still weak and shouldn't be moving," she said forcefully.

He fixed her in his gaze, letting her see the resolve there."I have enough strength for this. Besides, Sir Baigan will make sure I don't embarrass myself in front of the King through any involuntary weakness." He could tell that that didn't fully satisfy her, but she relented, and he slowly got to his face, wincing and grabbing for the desk to keep his legs from giving out under him. Rosa leapt to support him, but he waved her off as he gradually straightened his legs and pushed off, keeping on his feet though he did sway a bit, much to Rosa's dismay. He made his way to the door, limp evident in his steps until he stood before Baigan.

"Alright Captain, shall we go?" Baigan nodded and together they made their way to the throne room, Baigan accommodating Cecil by taking the walk at a slower pace than the brisk stride he would have usually. As they made their way as well, Cecil was subjected to a fair barrage of well wishes from people glad to see him up and about, even in his injured state, though they delicately held back from mentioning Kain.

The guards straightened up and saluted as they arrived at the throne room. Cecil and Baigan returned those, and stepped inside. The throne room was sparsely populated, some guards and attendants strategically positioned to counter any threats or respond to the summons of the King if he had need of them. They stood ramrod straight as Cecil and Baigan approached the throne upon which the King sat, his face etched with a tint of a frown, though he appeared to be calmly neutral otherwise.

"Sir Cecil, tell me, what happened in Mist?"

Cecil was taken aback, confused at the lack of any sort of expression of happiness towards his well being, seeing as he was the King's adopted son and all. But he put that to the side to make his report. "Sir Kain and I made our way to Mist, slaying the Dragon that guarded the village. When we arrived though, the Ring morphed into numerous Bomb's, which attacked the village. One of the summoners caused an earthquake, and I was struck by falling debris. I don't know what happened to Sir Kain." He left out mention of the girl, feeling it best to at least hide the fact that he had considered treason form the King.

The King nodded, frown slipping into a smile. "Good. One less thorn in my side. And I'm sure Sir Kain will turn up eventually..."

Cecil felt something nagging at his mind, and he knew he had to say it, despite what had happened the last time he spoke to the King this way. He needed to know, to hear the reasons why he'd had to do what he did at Mist. He'd been on the brink of committing treason, of launching a rebellion against the greatest Empire in the world. Now he was back here, in the heart of the storm, the center, the full might of Baron, and if he was to go on here he needed to know that what he was doing was right and just and for the good of the people. "My liege, if I may be so bold as to ask, why did the town need to be destroyed? They have done nothing to us."

The room, which had been engaged in low chatter, fell silent at that question, the King's frown quickly reappearing, and stronger than before as his grip tightened on the armrests of the throne. "They had not done anything _yet_." He replied," a cold anger rising in his tone. "The summoners wielded great powers. Had they decided to turn their might against Baron then the Red Wings, the Royal Dragoons, even the walls of this castle could not have stood against the might even a few of them could have brought to bear against us. I acted to remove that threat before it could become one. Is that a problem, Sir Cecil?"

Cecil shook his head, acknowledging that what the King's reasoning made sense, though he wished there had been another way. But it was his job to follow his King's commands, and that he would do, for now at least. "No."

The King leaned back, tension easing a bit. "Good." He seemed to consider something before continuing. "Your commission with the Red Wings is hereby restored. However, you will be in a different capacity." Cecil looked confused as the King went on. "Some worries about your loyalty still linger, and as well, another has presented himself as a capable leader and commander. As such, you will be his second in command until such time as I believe you are worthy to command again."

He gestured off to the side, and Cecil's eyes widened as a man emerged from behind one of the red curtains. He could have sworn the man was a dark knight, but the armor was too different. And there was something familiar about him, as if they'd met before, but he knew that wasn't possible as he would have remembered this sensation he was feeling. It was smooth, caressing, like soft velvet, but at the same time he shuddered from the sheer malevolence of it. He took an immediate disliking to this man in dark.

"Sir Cecil. This is Sir Golbez. You are now his second in command. You will follow his instructions loyally and to the letter, as if they were my own. Am I clear?"

Cecil nodded, as unnerved as he was by the revelation."Yes my King."

"Good. You may go."

Cecil beat a hasty retreat away from his King and Golbez, who were now engaged in a conversation. As fast as his weak legs would take him, he returned to his room, to find Rosa waiting. And she could immediately tell something was wrong from the way his face was flushed, as well as knowing him for long enough to be able to tell that sort of thing.

"What happened," she asked as Cecil sat down on his bed.

"I've been replaced. Made second in command to a man named Golbez," he replied, recounting what had happened in the throne room.

Rosa listened, and he got the sense that she understood what he was talking about when he mentioned how Golbez made him feel. "He arrived soon after you left, almost like he appeared from thin air. And just like that he was in your place as commander of the Red Wings. He led the search in Mist for you and Kain. But there's something off about him, just something that rubs me the wrong way. I'm not sure what it is though."

"Agreed. But what can we do about it though?"

Rosa smiled warmly. "You are going to do nothing for the moment but rest and get better. Then, you'll do your job, but also keep an eye on that Golbez man in case he's up to something. He might be behind the King's changes in attitude in recent years."

Cecil couldn't argue with that as he realized how tired he still was, with the pain from his dwelling wounds making it unpleasant as he was. "As always, I can't argue with your logic," he replied with a grin as he straightened himself out on the bed, Rosa pulling the covers up over him as he began to drift away with slowly closing eyes. "Sleep well, my Prince," she said as they closed and he dozed off into sleep, leaving Rosa to watch over him and await when he would wake again.

* * *

"So, Cecil Harvey of Baron...He is a strong one," Golbez mused after the dark knight he and the 'king' were talking about had left the throne room.

"Indeed," the King replied. "But his heart is too pure for my liking. Certainly too much for a dark knight. But if we could bring him to our side, he could be very useful to Master Zemus."

The eyes behind narrow slits in Golbez's helmet narrowed in thought. "It's that White Mage, Rosa. She's the one who keeps him from straying too close to the edge of darkness. She is the one that must be dealt with if Cecil is to embrace serving Master Zemus."

The King leaned back in his throne, joining Golbez as the warrior thought about their problem. "I suppose just killing her isn't an option."

Golbez didn't need to gesture to indicate his displeasure with the idea. "If he learned we were responsible for anything that happened to her, his resistance would only be that much harder, and thus more dangerous. No, murder is no solution here. And it is doubtful the White Mage would voluntarily join Master Zemus as well." He turned from the throne to go back to the room he had been given as a place of meditation and rest. "I shall inform Master Zemus of Cecil Harvey's awakening, as well as our situation. Perhaps he can present a solution we cannot determine."

"Very well," the King replied with a sigh. "I think I can manage here by my own. I have thus far without needing your assistance. Until tomorrow."

"Indeed." Golbez didn't look back as he left the room, to report to his master, and lay the further foundations for his great works.


End file.
